Revision as of 00:23, 20 August 2019

This article describes the various Factions. Each description is relatively short, and serves more to whet your appetite and help you narrow down your choices, rather than describe the Faction in-depth (in-depth descriptions can be found on each Faction's own dedicated page).

What is a Faction?

A "Faction" in Warmachine and Hordes is an army where the soldiers all belong to the same country, culture, or species. When you play a game of Warmachine/Hordes, all the models in your army must belong to the same Faction (although Mercenaries and Minions can hire themselves out to other Factions).

Choosing which Faction you want to collect, before you even begin playing, can be a tough decision! This article tries to give a "broad brush" description of each Faction.

Factions are further subdivided into Theme Forces. Every Faction (except Infernals) has a theme which specialises in warjacks or warbeasts, and their other theme(s) focus on troops of one kind or another. Warjacks and warbeasts can be taken in the troop-heavy themes, you just don't get bonuses for them so players take far fewer of them.

How many Factions are there? (15)

Factions are classified as either "Core" or "Limited Release".

• Core Factions - A Core Faction is one that has been around since the start of the game (or very close to the start). Core Factions have a wide range of models, a steady stream of new releases each year, and 3 to 6 theme forces.
  There are 6 Core Warmachine Factions and 5 Core Hordes Factions.

• Limited Release Factions - A Limited Release Faction is much newer. They have a small range of models, an extremely intermittent dribble of new releases, and only 2 theme forces. To compensate for having fewer models to design a competitive list with, they are more well-rounded (ie they have good synergies) and often have unique rules that alter how the game is played.
  There are 3 Limited Warmachine Factions and 1 Limited Hordes Faction.

That makes a grand total of 15 Factions.

Faction Complexity

Every Faction includes at least one complex caster and/or theme which will be tricky to master. However, some Faction's baseline of complexity is higher than others, and as a new player you might want to steer clear of them (unless you like a challenge, of course!).

Somewhat complex

• Protectorate of Menoth - Lots of support models to manage.
• Skorne - Lots of support models to manage.
• Circle of Orboros - A fair amount of support models. Also, outmanoevering your opponent is extra important for this faction.
• Trollbloods - Lots of support models, and lots of "auras" which mean your troops have to position around the support models just right. Lastly, the troops are on bigger bases making it easier to accidentally block yourself in.

More complex

• Infernals - Unusual rules
• Convergence of Cyriss - Unusual rules
• Grymkin - Unusual rules

Core Warmachine Factions

The Kingdom of Cygnar

Cygnar are often depicted as the good guys who aren't too morally objectionable, though they have picked up a good number of grudges over the years. They are really adept with technology, which has translated on the tabletop to a "shooting faction"; they have many big guns with long range and high power and the support abilities to make them even better. A lot of their signature weapons and spells are themed around lightning and electrical damage.

On the other hand when Cygnar fights in melee they don't deal huge amounts of damage. Instead they rely on weapons with special abilities that damage multiple models and/or stun them, taking the enemy at least partially out of the game for a turn.

Though their troops don't match up to other Factions' elite warriors in terms of resilience, Cygnarian soldiers are highly trained or armed with state-of-the-art weaponry (and in some cases, both).

Cygnar is subdivided into four theme forces:

• Heavy Metal - Warjack spam
• Storm Division - Elite troops with electric weapons
• Sons of the Tempest - Half-wizard pistoleers
• Gravediggers - Highly trained core troops with rifles and sandbags

Cygnar players also have access to 1 "extra" theme forces, although very few Cygnar warcasters are allowed in this themes:

• Flame in the Darkness - This is the Morrowans and Thamarites from three different factions (Cygnar, Khador, and Mercenary) banding together to fight the Infernal invasion.

The Khadoran Empire

The nation of Khador fights mostly for its own imperial ends. Their tech isn't nearly as sophisticated as Cygnar's but they make up for it by putting five tons of armor onto anything. They don't have the same flashy infantry equipment as their arch enemy Cygnar, relying instead on their conscripts' number and nationalism, canny assassins of their merchant lords and hulking steam-armored troops. Khador is easy to hit, but hard to hurt, their low basic speed may fool you to consider them slow. However, Khador is neither slow, nor a melee-only army. They actually do a decent job at range - predominantly in the form of AOE attacks. Living in the cold north, many of their spells are themed around cold damage and freezing enemies in place.

Khador is subdivided into 5 theme forces:

• Jaws of the Wolf - Warjack spam
• Armored Corps - Super-heavy infantry
• Legion of Steel - Melee infantry with plate armour and explosive-tipped spears
• Winter Guard Kommand - The core of Khador's armed might. Somewhat poorly armed, but numerous
• Wolves of Winter - Khador's wizards, and the convicts they've experimented upon

Khador players also have access to 2 "extra" theme forces, although very few Khador warcasters are allowed in these themes:

• Flame in the Darkness - This is the Morrowans and Thamarites from three different factions (Cygnar, Khador, and Mercenary) banding together to fight the Infernal invasion.
• Warriors of the Old Faith - This is the Menites from two different factions (Khador and Protectorate) banding together to fight the Infernal invasion.

The Protectorate of Menoth

A robed, religious and inquisitorial theocracy who seceded from Cygnar after a major sectarian conflict. They are knights templar in word and deed. Warjacks are technically blasphemous under the Menite religion, so the Protectorate has nowhere near as much expertise as the other factions -- something which translates to a generally sub-par stat line. However, they make up for this blasphemy by sanctifying every square inch of their warjacks, something which shows in their fine range of support units and buffs. Put the right buffs on a Menite warjack in the right order and it can brawl with the best of them. There are also numerous fire-based attacks and they have ways to bring back dead warriors (or put their souls to good use). The Protectorate also has ways to field zealous infantry in every size and shape: be it an unstoppable tide of fanatics massed together, a group of swift assassins, or a cadre of a few elite knights ready to defend their faith unto death and beyond.

The Protectorate is subdivided into four theme forces:

• The Creator's Might - Warjack spam
• The Faithful Masses - Civilian militia plus paladins
• Guardians of the Temple - An eclectic mix of specialist troops
• Exemplar Interdiction - Elite troops

The Nightmare Empire of Cryx

Cryx is a faction of necromancers ruled over by Toruk the Dragonfather: the oldest and most powerful dragon in the world. Rather than creating warjacks from steel and animating them with coal they instead create Bonejacks and Helljacks from steel and bone, animating them with stolen souls. Cryx is something of a horde army; bonejacks and helljacks are fast, strong, cheap, and good in melee, but fairly easy to destroy. To back up their 'jacks, Cryx fields some of the nastiest warcasters in the game who love to cast spells that debuff the enemy's pants off and absolutely ruin their day. As well as reaving the souls and corpses of their fallen enemies. They really like applying corrosion to enemies. Their infantry is mostly undead that is designed to mess with the enemy: half-mechanical wretches stitched together from corpses, ghostly Bane knights, corrupted Ogruns, and lethal pirates sailing the black waves of the Cryxian shorelines.

Cryx is subdivided into four theme forces:

• Black Industries - Warjacks and steampunk zombies
• Dark Host - Elite skeletons in plate armour
• The Ghost Fleet - Zombie pirates
• Scourge of the Broken Coast - The living forces of Cryx. Pirates, mostly.

The Retribution of Scyrah

The Retribution does not represent a national army, but rather a militant religious sect within the elf-kingdom of Ios. Central to the Retribution's dogma is that humanity's use of magic is responsible for the dying state of the elven gods and that all non-elves who use magic should be destroyed. Officially the rulers of Ios do not endorse the Retribution, but the sect still manages to recruit troops and warjacks from the major noble houses in sufficient numbers to be a serious military power.

The Retribution is a dualist faction; they can be either use top-class tanks or première glass cannons, but never really both in one game. Their choices of warcasters, infantry and solos reflect this duality; either tough combined-arms units, or squishy assassins. They are good at both melee and ranged combat, shoving the enemy around the battlefield and locking down their movement options. Their Myrmidons (the Elven equivalent of warjacks) further strengthen the combined-arms approach by bearing both ranged and melee weapons on themselves. Many of them also sport force fields, a signature trait in this faction.

Retribution is subdivided into four theme forces:

• Forges of War - Warjack spam
• Defenders of Ios - Houseguard troops, a high-tech militia
• Legion of Dawn - Elite Dawnguard troops
• Shadows of the Retribution - Elf ninjas

Mercenaries

Mercenaries are auxiliary troops that most Warmachine factions have access to. But you can also create a Pure mercenary army if you add a mercenary warcaster and his warjacks. It is hard to talk about Mercenaries in general, they are an extremely diverse faction. The psychically powerful Cephalyx who use mind-control to enthrall their opponents, the Dwarven nation of Rhul with their Ogrun auxiliary forces, and the reckless raiding parties of the Privateers. As well as the remnants of the Llaelese Resistance fond of guerrilla-warfare, or the run-of-the-mill sell-swords of the Steelhead regiments all fall under this category. Various mercenary solo models are often highly sought-after, as they provide efficient ways to fill gaps in your army composition. Mercenary armies have the largest selection of solos to choose from.

Mercenaries are subdivided into seven theme forces:

• The Irregulars - Their "default" theme which allows almost every Mercenary model that exists
• Hammer Strike - Dwarves and Ogres
• The Kingmaker's Army - The rebels that overthew the Cygnar throne
• Llaelese Resistance - A guerilla force
• Operating Theater - Pyschic creatures that live underground, and capture surface dwellers to experiment upon and turn into an army of mindless drudges.
• Steelheads - A well-organised military force
• The Talion Charter - Pirates

Mercenary players also have access to 1 "extra" theme force, although very few Mercenary warcasters are allowed in this themes:

• Flame in the Darkness - This is the Morrowans and Thamarites from three different factions (Cygnar, Khador, and Mercenary) banding together to fight the Infernal invasion.

Core Hordes Factions

The Trollblood Kriels

The Trollbloods are probably the least morally objectionable army in the game. They are a people fighting the spread of hostile human civilization. Trolls are depicted as extremely Scottish, with kilts, sporrans, kegs of ale, and a guy named "Grim Angus". One of their battle engines is a huge booze cart, carrying an inhumanly large keg from the finest hooch. They've been shoved around by the human nations for years but have recently learned how to command the truly monstrous Dire Trolls. And they are now on the march. The Trollbloods are a fairly slow army that's easy to hit/easy to hurt but much harder to actually kill. They're excellent at healing and buffing themselves, with Dire Trolls in the habit of eating models they kill for some quick and easy healing. Between self-healing, buffing, and the near-ubiquitous Tough rule, they are quite resilient. Their Trollkin warriors come in all shapes and sizes from man-sized to monstrous.

Trollbloods are subdivided into four theme forces:

• Power of Dhunia - Warbeast spam
• Band of Heroes - Melee infantry
• Kriel Company - Shoooty infantry
• Storm of the North - Combined arms infantry

The Circle Orboros

The Circle is a mostly-human order of druids, charged with protecting the balance between the human god Menoth (Law and civilization) and the feral god Orboros, also known as The Devourer Wurm (Nature, red in tooth and claw). As civilization is on the rise in Immoren, that means the druids act to stop it. Do not think that this makes them nice people; they believe their ends justify their means. The Circle is a maneuverability- and terrain-based faction. Quite a few circle warlocks can create forests and/or teleport themselves and their armies arpund the field. Their warbeasts range from shape shifting warpwolves to the birds of prey of the skies, their druids can summon even the rocks and stones of the earth to do their bidding, and stride forward in the form of relentless wold constructs. Most of their troops are not hindered by forests the way that other factions are. Among the troops you will find druids wielding the powers of the very elements of the nature, merciless hunter tribes of the Tharn, or the de-facto military arm of the Circle in form of the Wolf-Sworn units.

Circle is subdivided into four theme forces:

• Bones of Orboros - Construct Warbeast spam
• Secret Masters - Druids bossing around Minions
• The Devourer's Host - Tharn, the half-bestial humans of the forest.
• The Wild Hunt - Living warbeast-centric, plus Wolf Sworn who are the more militaristic warriors of Circle.

The Skorne Empire

An honorable but brutal nation of warriors marching into the Iron Kingdoms with conquest on their minds, supported by torturous blood magic and armed with angry pachyderms. Skorne are seemingly the slowest, tankiest army in Hordes. However, with outstanding support tools at their disposal they can make their slumbering warbeasts to run forward from downtown and with the strength buff available to them they will hit like a freight train. They have several "retaliation" effects, allowing them to take a hit and strike back afterwards. For this reason they excel at "attrition melee", wherein the longer you fight them, the more they gain the upper hand -- partially through their tankiness, partially due to their special rules. For the infantry you can choose between the venerable Immortals, the elite rank of hulking Cataphracts and the legion-like Praetorian warriors, or the aspiring but less trained Venators who prefer to hunt prey at range.

Skorne is subdivided into four theme forces:

• Disciples of Agony - Warbeast-centric, with the Skorne bossing around Minions, and enslaving Minion warbeasts
• The Exalted - Walking statues
• Masters of War - Elite Skorne infantry
• Winds of Death - Rank and file infantry

The Legion of Everblight

The Legion has been formed by Everblight, one of Toruk the Dragonfather's surviving demon dragon progeny. Everblight is currently an entity without a true physical body, his soul shared among his warlocks in the form of athanc (soulstone) shards. His greatest desire is to conquer Cryx and consume Toruk, so he created large quantities of blood spawned monsters and enslaved an entire subrace of elves and ogruns to do his bidding. Most of the Legion's warbeasts can navigate terrain with frightening ease and are bound to do so in order to make an alpha-strike - i.e. hit the enemy before it hits you. They must avoid protracted combat, and to help that they sport outstanding mobility tricks beside their innate abilities. Infantries can be summoned from capable elven fighters, twisted Grotesque herds or brutally effective, wild ogrun tribes. If you look for a fast army of twisted dragon creatures, and a bias toward hit-and-run warfare, look no further.

Legion is subdivided into four theme forces:

• Oracles of Annihilation - Warbeast spam
• Ravens of War - Light skirmishing force
• Children of the Dragon - Blighted elves
• Primal Terrors - Blighted ogres

Minions

Minions are auxiliary troops that most of Horde factions have access to. Pure Minion armies can be fielded using monstrous Gatormen and pig-like Farrow. Gatormen can be fielded, along with Bog Trogs & Croaks the other peoples of the swamps, in the Blindwater Congregation led by the living demigod Barnabas Lord of Blood. Farrow, along with bigger pigs, can be fielded in the Thornfall Alliance, led by Lord Carver and the sinister Dr Arkadius. Both sub-factions play hard and fast, with a selection of warbeasts and some of the best Lesser Warlocks around.

Minions are subdivided into three theme forces:

• Will Work For Food - Warbeast spam
• The Blindwater Congregation - Gatormen, more animalistic and with blood magic
• The Thornfall Alliance - Farrow (Pigmen), more militaristic but poorly armed

Limited Warmachine Factions

The Convergence of Cyriss

The Convergence is a minor warmachine faction. Cyriss is the goddess of science and mathematics, also known as the Maiden of Gears. Inhabiting a celestial realm far from Caen, Cyriss was recently discovered by human scientists. These scientists formed the Convergence of Cyriss, a cult dedicated to changing the very planet so that eventually Cyriss can be summoned to inhabit Caen itself and bring in an eternal age of perfection. Most followers of the Convergence seek to transcend human flesh and live on as a soul inside a machine body, a clockwork vessel. The Convergence has a unique type of warjack, the Vectors, and are unusual in that most of their models are constructs.

Convergence is subdivided into two theme forces:

• Destruction Initiative - An army of Vectors
• Clockwork Legions - An army of infantry with loads of recursion.

The Crucible Guard

The Crucible Guard is the military wing of the Order of the Golden Crucible, the largest and most respected alchemy guild in Immoren. The alchemists of this ancient and venerable society used to reside in Llael before Khador invaded. After the loss of their key fortress they had to flee into the Kingdom of Ord, furthering their operation under this - seemingly neutral - state's aegis. They use alchemical drugs to give a normal human arcane powers...but at a great cost to their health. Much like Cygnar, the Order is pretty adept at ranged warfare. Being the masters of the arcane sciences, they rely mainly on fire and corrosion-based attacks, while robbing away the enemy's protection against said weapons. They also have various ways to de-buff the enemy via alchemic substances, especially undead and construct targets.

CG is subdivided into two theme forces:

• Prima Materia - Guard’s warjack theme
• Magnum Opus - Guard’s everything theme

Infernals (Mid-2019)

This Faction has not been released at the time of writing.

Limited Hordes Factions

Grymkin, the Wicked Harvest

The Grymkin is a minor faction in Hordes. As Menoth returned to humanity after battling the Devourer Wurm, a few willful individuals led by the one known as the Heretic defied him. As punishment they were cast into the afterlife, known as Urcaen, where they have suffered since. Now they have returned, and with them are the nightmares and tormented souls of Urcaen. This is the stuff of legend, folk lore and nightmare. This is the Grymkin. On the battlefield they are an army with a strong bias toward close combat. Their unique mechanism is the Arcana system, 3 pieces of - part set, part chosen - cards, which can trigger upon certain events to turn the tide of battle. Their armies heavily rely on gathering the corpses; the enemy's and their own, to further strengthen their own forces.

Grymkin is subdivided into two theme forces:

• Dark Menagerie - A warbeast theme which forms a brick with swarms of Gremlins
• Bump in the Night - Grymkin’s everything theme

You've just finished reading one of the articles in our Introduction series. The other articles are;

• What is Warmachine and Hordes?
• What do I need to buy/borrow?
• Faction Overview
• Starter Products
• Online Retailers & Secondhand trade groups
• Cheat Sheets

Once you've finished those, you may want to check out the Basic Training series.